Back pain is a major occupational health problem among American workers. This regional survey
in northeastern Colorado also revealed that it was the case for family farmers, who have not
been routinely included in the available national statistics. The data also indicated that,
while male farmers reported that back pain brought on by repeated activities (such as lifting,
pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, or reaching) was experienced at their place of work or
business, female farmers or spouses of male farmers reported that their back pain of same kind
was experienced more frequently at home than at work or business. This suggests the
contribution of female domestic chores (which are not captured for the farming population in
current national job-injury data systems, because of the design of these surveys) as a factor
in reporting back pain.

Reporting Race and Ethnicity Data — National Electronic Telecommunications System for
Surveillance, 1994-1997
Reporting race and ethnicity variables in public health surveillance systems is critical to
making informed public health policy decisions about minority groups.

A national health objective for 2000 is to improve race and ethnicity data collection in
public health surveillance and data systems. To determine progress toward meeting this goal in
CDC's National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS), the percentage
of selected nationally notifiable diseases, that are individually reported to CDC through
NETSS and include race and ethnicity data, was calculated for 1994-1997. The findings of this
study suggests that proportions of race and ethnicity reporting are low and have not improved
over time. Race and ethnicity data were only reported in approximately half of case reports
for 31 selected nationally notifiable diseases reported to CDC through NETSS from 1994-1997.
To improve the quality and completeness of race and ethnicity data reported to CDC through
NETSS, it will be important for persons responsible for data collection, as well as local and
state entities, to work with CDC to adopt and use new federal standards for reporting this
information.

In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted the goal of global polio eradication by 2000.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is critical to global eradication efforts.
Nigeria has conducted National Immunization Days since 1996, gradually improving the quality
of these activities, and vaccinating close to 100% of children <5 years in 1998. In
addition, since 1996, surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) has been gradually
improving. In late 1997, Nigeria hired four regional surveillance officers and progress
accelerated. However, despite these efforts, wild poliovirus transmission remains widespread
in Nigeria. Nigeria needs to further intensify its polio eradication effort and focus on
improving routine vaccination coverage.